As the end of winter is on the horizon and spring is on its way. The shift of seasons can be the perfect timing to set an "intention" for the life you desire. Intentions are different than goals. Intentions are a frame of mind. They are the "how" you are going to be, whereas goals are what you "want" to be and with some focus and growth, you "will be". With intention, you already "can" be this way, you just need to remind yourself "to be”. Both intentions and goals walk hand in hand for improving your quality of life. Intentions provide a mind shift as a way of being with intentionality and are the driving force that helps you attain your goals.

Setting intentions is a simple yet powerful way to start your day. During your morning routine, set your daily intentions by either writing them down or saying them out loud. This makes it a bit more official. If we just think of it in our heads, we are more likely to forget about it and less likely to stick to it.

 

As it becomes a habit every morning, you may find other routines throughout your day where you can refresh or add new intentions. Just make sure you start simple.

 

Here are some examples:

 

My intention for today is ….

To be gentle with myself

To be mindful of my words towards myself and others

To be vivacious 

To be grateful for (blank)

 

They can also be more specific:

 

To be supportive in difficult projects at work

To be grateful my co-worker has good intentions in what they do

To be positive when reinforcing my child in schoolwork or extracurricular activities

 

If you journal your progress, you may find that intentions from a year ago have become part of who you are. Keep a journal and share your progress with loved ones.